Makin' Music
by windwhisprer
Summary: SanzoGoku AU oneshot:: Sanzo can hear music one day while heading home. When he follows the sound, he finds Goku and an old house that will help tie them back together years later.


**A/N: **A little thing that I wrote. Well… a big thing. The prompts were: An old house, chocolate chip cookies, and the sound of music. And this is what came of it. Oh, and there will be a **LEMON** near the middle, so take heed to that.

C&C appreciated.

**Makin' Music. **

Sanzo was having a shit-rotten day.

This morning, he forgot his lunch money and was forced to go hungry. He refused all offers Hakkai had given him. It may have been stupid, but Sanzo was far too proud to accept charity. Then, he'd had two pop quizzes, and someone spilled orange pop on his science textbook, which lead him to over an hour spent in the washroom wiping the pages dry. Gojyo had been there to help him and he was grudgingly thankful to the other man for it. Then, on his way home, he'd missed his bus. Because of that, he had to walk home. It wasn't a long walk, it was only a little over two hours, but it was still one fucking annoying trip to make. It's not like he wasn't used to it. Sanzo was used to taking extremely long walks when he was avoiding going home. He spent seven hours walking home one afternoon when he was in middle-school. His parents barely noticed.

And to top it all off, because of this, he was going to be late for work. Just beautiful.

He grumbled as he made his way along the old dusty road. He had decided to take the backwayto work, since it was supposed to be faster then going all the way around it. He hadn't tested this theory out before, but he decided that it couldn't possibly be any worse then it already was. His boss was going to give him an earful, but that wasn't anything new.

His jeans were covered in dust as he made his way along the roads. Despite how hard he tried not to kick up dust, it seemed his efforts were pointless. He was going to be coated in the junk by the time he got to work. Maybe he should just call in sick and go home. Then again, facing his father wasn't exactly something he liked to do; going to work would probably be smarter.

To his left were the backsides of several houses and to his right was a vast field of long grass. Summer was rapidly setting it, and the grass that went up to his waist was burnt and yellow. It was also full of weeds that Sanzo knew better then to walk in. The land was so far unowned; it had been owned at one point, a long time ago by a family who used the fields for farming. However the house had long since been abandoned, and now nothing was left of the fields but weeds. No one really cared, either way. The children would play in it sometimes and the adult simply figured that the land would be put to use some day. Mostly, it was left untouched.

Sanzo continued walking, listening to the beat of his ever-faithful rock band in his ears. As the song ended, Sanzo pulled his iPod out of his pocket and checked the oncoming song. However, when no music filled his headphones, he paused. He pressed play, then play again, and the screen simply remained dark. He let out a string of curses when he realized his iPod had died. The thing was a piece of junk; it was supposed to have a battery life of seventy-two hours and he'd charged it last night. Could anything else go wrong today?

He grumbled, yanking the headphones from his ears and shoving the thing in his backpack so he wouldn't have to look at it anymore. He still had a long way to walk, and his own thoughts were poor company. He damned whatever gods were looking down at him and laughing, wishing they would just find someone else to pester today.

He let his violet eyes trail across the ground, looking out over the vast fields of grass before his eyes caught an eyesore of a house sitting close to the path he was walking on. It was at least fifty feetinto the fields of grass, and stuck out like a sore thumb. The house was a very old Victorian style that was falling apart at the seams. No one went near it, save perhaps for a few teenagers looking for a place to hide out. Sanzo was expecting the house to just cave in on itself on of these days; he wouldn't be surprised if some kid died in it.

Some of the little kids spread rumors about the house being haunted, but he knew that was ridiculous. He turned his gaze away from it with a grumble, feeling the heat of summer slowly wrapping tightly around him. Sweat was beading on his brow and trickling down his neck, and his bag felt heavy on his shoulders. His mind wandered back to skipping out at work, but a sound caught his attention and made him pause.

The house was directly to his right by that point and he had to turn his head to look at it. The imposing building seemed to be watching him, silent. Then, the sound started up again and Sanzo strained his ears to hear.

He had been right. It was the sound of a musical instrument. He couldn't place what it was, but the sound definitely carried. Was there someone actually there? He turned, about to approach the house when the sound abruptly stopped. He frownedand waited, half-expecting the sound to start up again. When it didn't, Sanzo shrugged it off and continued walking.

---

Several days later, Sanzo had missed the bus again, but it was mostly Hakkai's fault. The man had to work that afternoon and offered to ride with Sanzo, since they both worked at the same store. They both missed the bus, but neither seemed to mind since they didn't have to work until later.

Hakkai had been chatting in his ear, trying to coax a response from him. However, Sanzo's mind was far from whatever Hakkai was talking to him about, his eyes trailing over familiar grass-covered fields. He could see the eyesore of a Victorian house in the distance and kept his eyes on it as they continued walking towards it. His mind fluttered back to the previous time he had traveled through this area and was tempted to check out the house, despite it being uncharacteristic of him. As they got closer and closer, Sanzo strained his ears to hear anything unusual, but heard nothing. However, when they were finally directly across from it, Sanzo stopped. Hakkai looked at him strangely, calling his name which Sanzo pointedly ignored.

"Do you hear anything?" Sanzo asked suddenly, startling his companion.

Hakkai blinked, before attempting to listen. "No, Sanzo," he said, green eyes focused on the blond, curious as to his behavior. 'I don't hear anything."

After a moment, Sanzo grunted before continuing along the dusty road. "Me neither," he mumbled.

Despite the odd looks Hakkai shot him, Sanzo refused to say anything on the matter.

---

It was the weekend, and Sanzo should have been doing homework, or something equally productive. However, despite himself, he found himself walking along the dusty road again. He didn't know why he was so curious towards the strange house that sat perched in the middle of a vast field; however he knew that it simply would not leave him alone until he investigated the place. He was willing to bet it wasn't ghosts and he almost snorted when the thought came to him. However, his curiosity continued to poke and prod at him until he'd finally given up.

He stopped across from the house again, listening. There was simply silence and Sanzo thought, once again, that perhaps he'd imagined the sounds coming from the house on Monday. He was trapped in indecision. He wondered if he should just turn around and go home, or go and find out once and for all what was going on in that house. The thought of being caught fluttered across his mind, knowing that he would never live it down if he was caught "exploring." However, when the soft sound of a musical instrument filled his ears once more, he pushed all doubts aside and began to make his way towards the house.

The grass all around him clung to him and the thorns from the weeds bit into his pants. He was thankful he'd worn jeans today, or else this would've hurt like hell. He had to wade through the long grass more then walk and the closer he got, the clearer the sounds were. It didn't take him long to realize the sounds were that of a saxophone. He'd been around the music room enough to differentiate between the instruments. He frowned softly, wondering why someone would be playing a saxophone in the middle of nowhere.

When he finally got out of the long grass and stepped onto the old wooden porch, he let out a soft sight of relief. He turned towards the large house once more, the sounds had grown louder, but they were still muffled through the old wood. He sighed through his nose, deciding he might as well get it over with. After wading through grass and thorns, he wanted at least to find out what was going on. No way was he just turning around after that.

Sanzo pushed the door open, wincing at the sounds that caught his ears. It wasn't terrible, just loud. Though, Sanzo had to admit the person could use some serious practice. He heard a loud squeak as he stepped inside, making him wince visibly. The playing stopped and the occupant muttered a curse. However, he listened as the person began playing again. The beginning wasn't that bad—whatever song it was, Sanzo had no idea—but it seemed the lower or higher the notes got, the more trouble the person had. He was still a novice then, whoever he was. Not that Sanzo could really talk, since he'd never played an instrument in his life.

He stepped into the house, entering a small living room where the sound was coming from. There were some old pieces of furniture that were covered in dust, some graffiti had been written on the wall and garbage lay about. Seated on an old couch with his back to him was a young man, no older then Sanzo. The boy's brown hair spiked out around his face, and Sanzo could make out his lithe frame sitting straight up. He focused on the music stand in front of him that held sheet music. He could make out the saxophone that sat in his hands, tanned fingers moving expertly along the keys. His case sat to the side, open and barren, save for some strange instruments Sanzo knew helped take care of the instrument.

The boy seemed oblivious to his presence as he continued playing, focusing hard on the music in front of him. As he got further into the song, he began to slow slightly, trying to hit the right notes. Sanzo watched him for a moment long, tempted to leave when the boy abruptly hit a wrong note, and the instrument squeaked. Sanzo winced, watching the boy pull the mouthpiece from his mouth.

"Fuck!" the boy shouted, slamming a hand on the old couch next to him. Dust frittered up into the air, caught by Sanzo's nose, and the blond sneezed. The boy on the couch whirled around, more dust flying into the air as wide golden eyes settled on him.

"I'm sorry!" the boy shouted suddenly, springing to his feet and pulling the instrument's strap from his neck and setting it on the couch. Sanzo sneezed again, before finally covering his nose from the dust. "I'm sorry! Did I bother you? I can stop!" he said, almost frightened.

Sanzo tried to get a word in, before he sneezed again. "Don't bother, I was just leaving," he said, turning on his heel and trying to get away from the dust.

"No! Don't leave, I'll leave!" the boy said, already puling his mouthpiece off and wrapping it in a cloth. He cursed, unwrapping it and taking the reed out. "Do you live around here? I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was so loud. I'll go find someplace else to practice."

Sanzo stayed by his place at the entryway, watching the brunet fumble around as he tried to take apart his saxophone and clean it quickly, before placing it back in his case. He could see a soft blush lining his features, but Sanzo could tell by the twist of his brows that he wasn't just uncomfortable about being caught, but by the fact that someone had heard him playing.

"Don't," Sanzo said suddenly, surprising himself. The brunet looked up at him, golden eyes almost as wide as saucers as he watched Sanzo slowly walk into the room. "I could barely hear you from the path; I doubt anyone else can hear you from inside their houses." He stopped, looking over the music that sat on the stand before him. There were several sheets, but it all meant nothing to Sanzo. It was just dots on a line to him. "What were you playing, anyway?"

The boy stood from his spot on the ground, heading over to where Sanzo was. "It's called 'Swords against the Sea.' It's a piece that was written as a tribute to Blackbeard the Pirate." He paused, pointing out the first isolated section on the piece of paper. "I can play the first part really easily, but the second part is kind of hard, and the third part has these really low notes that I can't get, and then it starts going really fast and I can't keep up."

Sanzo turned to look at the boy out of the corner of his eye, watching as his tanned cheeks darkened as he quickly snatched the pieces of music off the stand. "I'm guessing you suck at music class," he said bluntly.

The boy's shoulders fell. "Yeah, pretty much," he said simply, bending down next to his case and pulling out a folder that he been placed next to it. "My brother doesn't like listening to me play, so I come out here to practice. I don't feel like I'm getting any better though."

Sanzo frowned, watching the boy crouch on the ground as he began wiping out his mouthpiece with a cloth. After a moment of silence, Sanzo placed his hands in his pockets and spoke, "If you suck, then why are you leaving?"

Curious golden eyes turned to look at him, onebrown brow cocked.

Sanzo shrugged, trying to remain impassive. "I'm just saying, it seems stupid to give up so easily. Play me what you know, and I'll tell you if you suck." Sanzo risked a glance down at the teenager next to him, watching the way the boy's entire face lit up. He clearly loved his music.

"I'm Goku," the boy chirped happily, already digging out the pieces of his saxophone and putting it back together.

"Sanzo," the man grunted, falling back into the couch and resisting the temptation to sneeze again. He was about to pull out his cigarettes when a bag was suddenly shoved in his face. He blinked, looking from the bag of cookies to Goku's face. The boy grinned brightly.

"Chocolate chip," Goku said, and despite himself Sanzo reached in and grabbed one. "They're my favorite," the boy added.

Sanzo grunted in response, taking a bite out of a cookie as Goku snapped the neck strap back on, putting the reed back in place. Once the saxophone was put back in place, he put the music on the stand, and then hesitated, casting a nervous glance back at Sanzo.

"If you're going to be insecure about it, then don't play," Sanzo said sharply, watching as golden eyes narrowed in response.

The mouthpiece slipped past Goku's lips, and with a strong breath of air, he began to play.

---

Sanzo wondered idly where all his free time had gone.

Suddenly, he found himself showing up at the old house just to listen to Goku play. The boy delighted in having an audience after he got over his initial insecurities. Sanzo had to admit that he wasn't that bad, it was just at moments where he kept screwing up. However, there was only so much time he could devote to listening to the same screw-ups over and over. He had tried to direct Goku, but when the brunet had reminded him that he knew nothing about music, Sanzo had merely glared at him.

Despite himself, Sanzo picked up a few books on saxophone playing, just to spite the brat. As the weeks went by, he found Goku was getting better and better. He had mastered 'Swords against the Sea' and had gone on to other pieces of music as well. The more time they spent in the small, run-downhouse, the angrier Sanzo grew with the constant dust. Finally, the pair had devoted a weekend to making the best of it. The cleaned all the dust they could from the room, wiped down the walls and Sanzo even bought a small thing of paint and painted over the graffiti on the walls.

Goku brought in an old armchair his father tried to throw out and Sanzo found a discarded coffee table. They got rid of the broken furniture, using what they could from the house. Goku had even brought in air freshener and a carpet, which Sanzo hadn't even bothered to argue with. When they were finished, the living room and kitchen had been mostly renovated, and was at least livable now. It wasn't perfect, but it was an amazing improvement from what it was before. Sanzo knew that if they stayed long enough, they might even do some of the other rooms. He'd been through some of them, and while most of them weren't that bad, there was one room that apparently had been used for sex. Neither of them had bothered to go in there.

The days passed by and Sanzo found himself spending most of his time in the run down little house. Summer was approaching quicker and quicker; the heat was setting in, cooking them both. The pair had decided to buy something and had ended up buying a small, battery-operated fan, since the house lacked electricity. It didn't do much, but it was better then the scolding heat that closed in all around them.

That afternoon, Sanzo was seated on the chair that Goku had brought in ages ago, silently doing his homework. Across from him, Goku was doing the same, and the pair silently munched on chocolate chip cookies that Goku had brought in. Sanzo had to admit that they were good. After what felt like an eternity of silence, Goku threw down his books. "I'm done!" he proclaimed, catching Sanzo's attention. The blond looked up, watching as the boy snickered before turning to his saxophone case next to him and pulling the instrument out.

It was far too hot that day, and both boys had discarded their shirts. Goku wore little more then a pair of loose shorts and Sanzo could make out the sweat glistening his chest as he moved. Sanzo found himself oddly distracted, watching as Goku placed the wooden reed in his mouth, and sucked wetly on the wood as his tanned hands made quick work of putting together the saxophone. Sanzo shook his head, focusing back on his homework as he listened to the brunet put together his instrument.

"Fuck, my cork's dry," he heard Goku mumbled to himself, and looked up when he knew he shouldn't have. He knew what the process entailed, and despite himself he watched as Goku got out a stick of cork grease, spreading it along the cork on the neck of his saxophone. Sanzo swallowed loudly, and found he couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched the mouthpiece disappear into Goku's mouth, a pink tongue darting out to try and wet it.

Sanzo nearly groaned, turning his eyes back down to his homework. He tried desperately to focus on his math, but he kept seeing Goku's tongue dragging along that mouthpiece. He thought of what else that mouth could be wrapped around. Sanzo closed his eyes and muttered curses beneath his breath even as a cheery tune of 'Jingle Bells' filled the house, despite the fact that it was no where near Christmas. Sanzo wouldn't mind that at the moment; a little cold would do him some good.

This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it was definitely the worst. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the image of Goku arching off the ground, moaning his name deliciously. He didn't need this right now, he really didn't. He listened to Goku's loud saxophone, wishing it would drown out his thoughts and images. He cursed his hormones again, wishing he could just will his arousal away. He knew Goku was hot—no, Goku and 'hot' were not allowed to be even considered in the same sentence.

"Sanzo?" he heard Goku call, dimly realizing that the music had stopped. He opened his eyes and looked up, finding Goku watching him. A soft blush lined his features, before a wide grin spread out over his face. "Having trouble there, Sanzo?"

Sanzo didn't bother to degrade himself by looking down at his lap; he knew what Goku was referring to. He simply shifted in his seat, trying to hide the evidence of his arousal to the boy across from him. He could feel his face heating up, and he tried to will his embarrassment away. He would have to kill Goku, if he kept grinning at him like that.

Sanzo sneered, hoping to talk himself out of this situation. "Like you can talk. Have you even hit puberty yet?" he snarled in response.

The grin slipped from Goku's lips and a frown pulled at his features, making Sanzo feel at least a little bit triumphant. "I have so hit puberty," he snapped, a bit of red coloring his features again as he unhooked the strap from around his neck and set his saxophone on the couch. The grin began to pull at his lips again and Sanzo suddenly felt like prey being stalked by its predator.

His books were rudely shoved to the floor and Sanzo suddenly had a lapful of Goku, lips pressed tightly against his own and bare chest sliding against bare chest. Sanzo was stunned by Goku's sudden boldness, leaving him unresponsive. Goku took advantage of his momentary lapse and slipped a tongue past his lips.

Sanzo managed to get a hold of himself by that point, shoving Goku away from him. Lazy golden eyes blinked at him, lips still parted slightly as though he was ready to lean in and recapture the kiss. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Sanzo barked, feeling his face redden further and his cock throb agreeably with the contact.

Goku grinned at him again in a way that so was damn sexy Sanzo had to resist the temptation to jump him. "We're both hot and hard, so why not just have sex?" Goku questioned, nipping at his jaw. "I'm not an idiot, Sanzo; I see the way you look at me."

Sanzo was about to push him away, simply because of the almost arrogant way that the words slipped from Goku's mouth, and was surprised when he found himself kissing Goku again. Curious hands were sliding over ever inch of bare skin and Sanzo found himself groaning at the touch. The chair was too restricted, however, and soon the pair found themselves sprawled out over the floor. Sanzo was suddenly glad for the carpet that Goku had found, as it was better then the splinters that would've been biting into his back.

The fabric of his jeans was growing excruciatingly tight, and the way Goku was weakly grinding their hips together was not helping. Sanzo broke of the kiss so they could both gasp when intimate flesh brushed against intimate flesh. Sanzo was beginning to grow impatient with the boy's fooling around, and snapped open violet eyes. His sharp insult was cut off when Goku rolled him onto his back, straddling his hips and locking his lips in a tight kiss. When the kiss broke, Goku abruptly leaned over him, reaching for something. Unable to resist temptation, Sanzo took a nipple into his mouth, satisfied when he heard Goku gasp and falter in his movements.

Sanzo pressed several kisses down his side, frowning when Goku continued to scramble for something. "What are you looking for, idiot?" he snapped.

"Key oil, key oil…" the boy muttered, giving out a sound of joy when he found the requested item. He dropped it next to him when he recaptured Sanzo's lips in a kiss, wiggling his hips experimentally.

When the kiss broke, Sanzo glared at Goku's laughing eyes. "Key oil, Sanzo, very essential," he told the man, trailing kisses down his chest, before unbuttoning his pants. At Sanzo's cry of surprise, Goku looked up at him and shot him a cheeky grin. "Now, now, Sanzo, don't get skittish."

Sanzo muttered insults before his voice was stolen from him as Goku licked a solid path over the head of his cock. His head bumped back against the floor, and he uttered a soft groan in displeasure when he felt Goku leave his cock in favor of pulling off his jeans and tossing them away. Goku's own pants soon disappeared, leaving them both hot and naked on the floor.

Goku chuckled, his breath hot over Sanzo's abdomen. "Now, now, Sanzo, don't get upset. We have to get naked before this works," he said.

Sanzo wondered where this sudden mischievous side of Goku had come from, and wished it wasn't so damn sexy. "Eat me," he snapped.

"Oh, I intend to," Goku said huskily, before suddenly Sanzo watched the tip of his cock disappear into Goku's mouth. Sanzo gasped at the feeling of that moist heat wrapped all around him, arching bonelessly off the ground and grasping his hair with a gasp. Goku placed a hand to his hip before beginning his blowjob.

Sanzo found himself moaning and gasping at the feeling of Goku's slick tongue sliding along his cock, and was surprised by the level of skill the boy possessed. Though Sanzo had little to base it on; he'd only received a handful of blowjobs before in his life and the amount of people he let see him naked were very few. However, it felt like Goku knew exactly what to do to draw sounds from him, silently reminding himself to beat the pretentious idiot later for this.

Just as he felt certain that he was about to explode, Goku pulled away. He groaned softly, annoyed at the loss of contact. However, a startled gasp escaped him a moment later when he felt sticky fingers probing his entrance. His glare snapped up to meet hazy golden eyes darkened to amber. "Don't look at me like that," Goku said, leaning forwards to kiss the tip of his cock.

Sanzo was tempted to yell at the boy; he was not the kind of person to bottom for anyone. However, when he felt Goku's fingers slip inside him, he forgot how to speak. Goku seemed to take that as a good sign as he trailed teasing kisses on the inside of his thighs.

It was uncomfortable having a finger pulsing in and out of him, and it was uncomfortable when there were two. However, Sanzo knew it wasn't going to be uncomfortable for long.

Once he was stretched enough, Goku leaned back on his heels and took the little bottle of key oil before slathering it over his length. Sanzo sat up on his elbows, breathing slightly irregularly as he watched the erotic display Goku was putting on for him. "Don't you need that oil for your instrument?" Sanzo asked, watching darkened eyes flicker up to him.

"I can always buy more." Goku said simply, leaning up and pressing a kiss to Sanzo's lips. Sanzo sucked up the kiss hungrily, but broke it off as he felt Goku's erection bump his entrance. There was a moment when the pair simply looked at each other, before slowly, Goku's cock began to slide into his ass.

Sanzo groaned at the penetration, annoyed at himself for being so vocal. However, Goku didn't seem to mind in the least. Once he was fully sheathed, the pair stayed perfectly still, their breathing irregular as both of them slowly adjusted.

When Sanzo gave his assent, Goku began to move. The pair fell into a quick rhythm that left them both moaning loudly on the floor. Goku's hand slipped in between them, pumping Sanzo's neglected cock as they continued to move. It wasn't long before Sanzo was pushed over the edge, Goku following not long behind him. The pair collapsed together, sticky in places and satiated for the time being.

The only sounds that filled the quiet room were the deep breaths and the whirl of the nearby electric fan. Slowly, Goku pulled himself from Sanzo's chest and satback on his ass. "Mm, that was fun, let's do it again sometime," he said, moving to lick Sanzo's cum fromhis fingers.

Sanzo found himself watching as Goku licked his fingers clean, before finally focusing back on Goku's smug face. He snorted, turning his face stubbornly away. "Shut up idiot," was all he could manage to utter as he sat up.

The moment was pleasantly calm, Sanzo had to admit, and he'd never been so pleased before. He let his eyes drift shut, pointedly ignoring the smirking brunet behind him. Goku dragged himself forwards, slinging his arms around Sanzo's shoulders and resting tiredly against his back. He rested his cheek against Sanzo's shoulder and sighed appreciatively.

"Now that kind of music…" Goku said quietly. "Is what I could get used to playing…"

Sanzo smirked, but said nothing in reply.

---

The days started to go by all too fast, and suddenly Sanzo found exams staring him in the face. Unfortunately, it led him to seeing Goku less and less, as the boy had his own studies to worry about. Sanzo decided not to worry about it much, since summer was coming and they could always hang out together more then.

Sanzo hated to admit how attached he was growing to Goku. The past few weeks had been marvelous and the sex had been wonderful. He was kind of glad for the upcoming summer, as he wanted to enjoy two full months of relaxation before college started. When he stopped and thought about it, it kind of scared him that he was actually going to college next fall. High school felt as though it had come and gone so fast, Sanzo wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Still, he knew worrying about it like an idiot wasn't going to solve anything, so he didn't bother.

Finally, it seemed, summer had arrived. Sanzo managed to pass his exams, and he had made it into a college not far from where he lived. However, he wasn't planning on living with his parents any longer and he, Gojyo and Hakkai had talked about rooming together. Gojyo was looking for his own place and Hakkai wanted somewhere closer to his school. Sanzo needed to get away from his parents.

Sanzo knew that Hakkai would probably call him with the details later. Until then, Sanzo wanted to enjoy what little freedom he had in the time being.

Goku was late arriving to their little meeting spot that afternoon, causing a vein to throb loudly in his temple. It was way too hot out for comfort, and Sanzo wished they had more then the little battery-operated fan to cool himself. He wished he had the foresight to put on shorts that morning, as his pants stuck to him like a sticky second skin. However, he was not one for shorts, and decided to live with his discomfort.

He was getting fed up, and was tempted to turn around and go home, where there was nice cool air conditioning, when Goku bounded through the door. He let his case clatter to the ground, cursing before righting it and realizing there wasn't anything he could do about it now. As Sanzo turned to curse his lateness, Goku flipped over the back of the couch, landing securely in his lap with a giggle. Sanzo blinked when familiar arms wrapped around his neck and Goku's face was pushed into the crook of his neck. 

"I got in, Sanzo, I got in!" the boy explained happily, wiggling ever so slightly in his lap. Sanzo blinked, still slightly off-balanced by the brunet in his lap.

"What the hell are you talking about, idiot?" Sanzo snapped, resting his hands on Goku's hips when the boy continued to wiggle excitedly.

"I got into Berklee, Sanzo! It's this really cool music school! I just got the letter today, they really liked my music!" Goku pulled away from his spot in Sanzo's neck to look him in the eye. It was stunning to see the boy's eyes shinning so happily, unable to stop the joy from surging from him.

Sanzo let a small smile pull on the corners of his lips, hoping to hide it before Goku saw. "And you had to tackle me to tell me that?" Sanzo asked critically, arching a brow at the younger man.

"Yup!" the boy grinned, wiggling again as he held himself close to Sanzo's chest. "I'm just excited Sanzo, give me a break." He sighed and allowed himself to relax for a moment. "I've wanted to get into this school for a long time. I thought that they wouldn't accept me," he wiggled again, but this time it was just to get closer. "Thank, Sanzo."

Sanzo sighed through his nose, leaning back against the armrest of the couch. "Where is it?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself by how much he cared.

Goku's answer suddenly lost its enthusiasm. "In Boston…" he said slowly. He could feel the tension added in his lover's body, though might've mistaken it for his own.

"Boston," Sanzo said simply. The only coherent thought in his head was that it was really far away.

"Don't worry, we can write and I'll come down and visit you on Christmas and junk," Goku said, his hold tightening around Sanzo's neck. "I don't want to choose between you and music."

Sanzo snorted. "Don't be a sentimental idiot," he said roughly.

Goku let his eyes drift shut and a smile graced his features. "Okay…" he said softly, refusing to release the hold he had on Sanzo.

And for once, Sanzo decided that it might be okay.

---

Summer went by way too quickly, in Sanzo's opinion, and before he knew it, school had started. Goku was gone, but Sanzo told himself that it would be fine. He didn't need Goku around anyway. He had other things to worry about.

Hakkai, Gojyo, and Sanzo moved in together not much later then August. It wasn't so bad, Sanzo decided. It was on the other side of town, much closer to his school. He didn't mind living with Hakkai, but more then once he threatened the redhead by pain of death if he didn't just shut the hell up. Gojyo, of course, had ignored him.

Sanzo used the excuse of school, work, and the distance to avoid going back to the old Victorian house. He couldn't even imagine what had happened to it, since there was no way it could still be in useable shape. Maybe he was afraid to go back there and find out what had happened to it, or face the memories the old walls contained. Sanzo hated thinking about it.

Goku and Sanzo continued to email each other, and it worked perfectly fine for a while. Sanzo missed being able to feel the brunet's skin beneath his hands, listening to him play his saxophone or even just knowing he was there. Sanzo hated to admit it, but he really missed Goku.

Then, Goku's emails just stopped coming. Sanzo simply decided he was busy, as a few days passed without any notice from the other man. Then a few weeks passed by, then a few months, and Sanzo realized that Goku wasn't going to reply. Sanzo didn't bother swarming Goku's inbox with emails. Clearly, Goku had found someone else to hang out with. Sanzo tried not to be disappointed.

Sanzo tried to push all thoughts of Goku and the memories they had spent together behind him. It was beginning to hinder his school and work ethic, and even his roommates had taken note. Hakkai continued to shoot him worried glances while Gojyo outright asked him what the fuck was wrong with him. Sanzo had ignored them both; it wasn't their business.

Years began to roll by before Sanzo could even blink. As the days went passed, he thought about Goku less and less, until one day he didn't think of him at all. His life continued in the way one normally would. He graduated college with a degree in philosophy, going on to get his Master's. He had moved out of the apartment he shared with his friends, getting his own that he rented from an older lady with a smile too big for her face.

Even before he got his Master's, he was hired by a man named Homura, who was an editor at a publishing company. Sanzo hadn't even bothered teaching philosophy since he knew he would never be able to stand the idiot students, but he liked writing. Homura had purchased three of his books before he graduated and Sanzo, all of a sudden, had a steady income.

He worked at home, mostly, though it wasn't unusual to see him out, gathering more information for his next book. Occasionally, Sanzo would take a business trip, though only when Homura funded it. He fell into his life comfortably, surprised at how little effort it took. Good things came to him easily and he found life sickeningly boring.

He was up late that night, working on researching for his next book. It was going to be big, at least seven hundred pages long, and they weren't all just going to be pictures. He had been researching for the past four months and he knew he had a long way to go. It would be a while before his book saw any shelves.

He was fully engrossed in the textbooks he was reading, taking notes every once in a while. His hair was bunched in a ponytail at the back of his neck, and his glasses began to feel heavy on his nose. He hadn't left his house at all that day, merely reading and taking notes. At one point he had taken a break and watched a movie, which he had dozed off during, but otherwise he'd spent the whole day working. Homura was planning on checking up on him in the next few days, and the man's standards were abnormally high. He didn't have nearly as much information as he needed.

The sound of his cell phone ringing startled him. He blinked out of the texts, his eyes suddenly aching with overuse and his head spinning slightly from the amount of information he'd absorbed. Gojyo liked to joke that one day he would read himself to death; Sanzo still asked himself why he even hung out with the man.

He snapped back to himself, grabbing his phone off the table next to it and placing it against his ear. "Hello?" he asked, his voice sounding unused even to his own ears. His eyes stung and he rubbed them painfully, not before casting a glance at a nearby clock. It was nearing two a.m.

The voice on the other end seemed startled, for nothing was said for a moment. Finally, a familiar yet foreign voice asked, "Is this Genjyo Sanzo?"

"Yes, now what the fuck do you want?" Sanzo snapped, annoyed that he had been torn from his work. He knew that he would have to turn in soon; he wouldn't be able to convince his mind to delve back into the books for another several hours.

"Well," the voice on the other line seemed happy, yet nervous at the same time. "I'm an old friend. I just finished a big project, and I figured you'd want to see it."

Sanzo's eyes suddenly narrowed, as though trying to pin point who exactly was on the other line. "Who is this?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'll give you a hint," the childish voice on the other line said. "I love my saxophone and I used to squeak it on purpose just to piss you off. Oh! Wait, I know, does, 'Sanzo, if we keep doing this, I'm going to run out of key oil' ring any bells?"

Sanzo could feel his eyes widening, suddenly glad there was no one else around to see him. "Goku…?" he breathed, surprising himself.

When laughter was his only response, Sanzo felt his face redden in embarrassment. He had the strong desire to hit something, preferably Goku. "What the hell?' Sanzo exclaimed suddenly, surprised by his own outrage. "After how many years you decide to just call me up on a whim and at two a.m. to add to it?" Sanzo could feel surprising anger coursing through him. It amazed him to some extent that after so many years, Goku could still get him so riled up.

There was a pause at the other end of the phone and the silence was heavy between them. "Sanzo, I don't want to do this over the phone," Goku said calmly, which only added to the tension in Sanzo's body. "Look, just come to our old hang out, you know where that is, right?" Sanzo numbly muttered his affirmative. "Good. Come meet me there if you want. If you don't… then I won't bother you anymore."

Then Goku hung up on him.

Sanzo so was so surprised he didn't move for a moment. He stared at his phone for a moment, stunned at what just happened. Did that really happen, or was it all just his sleep deprived imagination? Even so, should he even go and see Goku after so many years of being apart? Sanzo had moved on, he had his own life now. It was just a stupid high school crush that had ended abruptly when they went to college. Sanzo shook his head at himself. He did not have a crush on Goku—it had just been a relief of built up sexual frustration.

Then why was he suddenly in his car, heading down darkened streets towards his old neighborhood?

It didn't take long to get there by car, though the half an hour drive felt like an eternity. He continued to tell himself that he was merely going so he could kick Goku in the head and then go home. He continued to repeat that to himself, but he couldn't stop the tense feeling in his gut and the way his palms sweated as he gripped the steering wheel.

He had to park a little ways from his destination, as there were not roads leading up to the house. He didn't mind much as he got out of his car and made his way along the dusty dirt path once more. Suddenly, he felt like a teenager all over again. How many times had he walked this road, knowing that Goku would be waiting for him when he got to their meeting spot?

The road was dark, so it was difficult to see where he was going. Still, he could make out the dull glow of the street lights from the street over, and made his way towards the large, shadowy structure that was so familiar it was soothing. He was surprised that when he got close to it, most of the grass around it had been cut down, barely coming over the top of his shoes. Sanzo was slightly grateful, as he didn't feel like wading through thick heavy grass that he did as a teenager.

As he approached the old house, he found it completely dark. He couldn't detect the old, familiar scent of mildew, which caused his brows to raise in confusion. However, he didn't bother to study the building any longer as he made his way towards it.

The deck was different then he remembered it to be. It was new wood, sanded and painted from what Sanzo could make out in the poor lighting, and seated on the steps, was Goku. Sanzo was surprised at seeing him at first, since Goku had changed dramatically since he had seen him last. His hair had grown slightly, now brushing the nape of his neck with spikes that sprung out wildly, proving it would never be tamed. He had grown taller, and the wiry frame that had haunted him through the awkwardness of adolescence was gone. He looked stronger, fuller, and more definedsince Sanzo had seen him last. He was wearing a pair of loose jeans, only held onto his hips by a belt, and a button-up shirt with rolled up sleeves and paint stains here and there.

Sanzo was surprised to find Goku asleep. He was leaning against one of the pillars, a coffee cup next to him that had long ago stopped steaming. His chest rose and fell with deep, easy breaths and his eyelids fluttered in his sleep.

Sanzo was tempted to turn and go back to his car when he realized that he just couldn't. If he left he was going to lose the only chance he might ever have for getting back together with Goku, at the very least in a friendly sense. When that little voice in the back of his mind told him it didn't matter, he reprimanded it by realizing that he did care. He'd cared for a long time and he missed having Goku around, if only to listen to the soothing sounds of his saxophone.

He bent down in front of the other man and shook him awake. Slowly, golden eyes blinked open, focusing sleepily on his face. A small smile tugged on his lips before his mind fully seemed to click to the situation and he woke up fully. "Sanzo!" he exclaimed so suddenly that Sanzo winced. He backed up, allowed the other man to stumble to his feet. "I'm sorry; I guess I was kind of tired." He grinned; the same stupid, lopsided grin Sanzo had missed for years. "Hiya, Sanzo, how are you?"

Sanzo stared at him evenly. "You called me all the way out here at two in the morning just to ask me how I was?" he asked coldly.

Goku shook his head, grabbing his cold coffee and making his way up the steps towards the door. Sanzo could already see that it was a new, polished black wood, not the decaying thing that he and Goku hadn't even bothered to touch. "No, well, I've been working on this for a while, and I know it's late, but I just finished and I couldn't wait to show you, so come on," Goku urged him inside, and Sanzo resisted the temptation to smirk at the familiarity. Goku always was as impatient as ever, and it seemed that was one thing about the boy—no, man, that hadn't changed.

Sanzo followed Goku up the steps and towards the door. Goku unlocked it, before stepping inside. The entire place was pitch black; Sanzo wouldn't even be able to make out the hand in front of his face. "What the hell are you trying to—" Sanzo cut himself off when Goku abruptly switched on a light. _That_, they had never been able to do before.

The entranceway was so different from what Sanzo remembered. Gone were the busted floorboards, graffiti that climbed up the walls and the foul stench of mildew and mold. The entire place was so different that he wondered if he had stepped into a completely different house. The floor was redone and gleaming polished wood stared back at him. The old wallpaper had been torn down and Goku had painted the walls a modest beige—or had someone do it, since it was a wonderful job. The closet next to him had new doors, and the lining around it had been redone. The stairs in front of him had new burgundy carpeting, which was probably wise, since god knows how much crap was spilled on the stairs.

"How…" was all Sanzo could mutter. He turned to look at Goku next to him, who beamed proudly.

"I've been working on it for months. Isn't it awesome? Everybody said I should just tear down the house when I bought the land, but I didn't want to tear down the house because the house was what I wanted," Goku babbled uselessly as he led him into the living room. Again, Sanzo was awestruck. The place was devoid of furniture, but the change it had undergone was still astonishing. The floor was covered in polished hardwood, and the walls were patched up and freshly repainted. The busted window had been replaced, and electrical plugs had been added all along the walls. It was like a completely different house. They had made it at least tolerable before, but now it was just amazing.

Goku nearly bounced where he was, unable to hold in his excitement. "I had to hire an electrician, a plumber and someone to install the floors, but I really tried to do most of this myself. Oh! I haven't showed you the best part yet, c'mon!" Goku took his hand, leading him back to the staircase they had passed and leading him up it. Again, it was like the entire place had been turned inside out. Sanzo wondered how much work had gone into reforming the house.

He was still slightly numb, but he couldn't help but rejoice in the feeling of Goku's hand on his own. The warmth was like a long forgotten memory slowly coming alive once more. Sanzo was slightly disappointed when Goku pulled his hand away, though he realized it was only to open another door. Again the upstairs looked completely different, which was probably a good thing. The upstairs had been the worst, from what Sanzo could remember.

Goku opened the door to the master bedroom and stepped inside. The burgundy carpet spread out into the room, and the walls were painted a nice beige once again. However, instead of finding the room bare, it held a large queen sized bed in the middle of the room. The sheets were crisp and clean, along with the large comforter and pillows that adorned it. Goku fell onto the bed with a soft sigh, his eyes sliding closed in clear exhaustion. Goku didn't move for a moment, and Sanzo could feel his throat closing up. When Goku cracked open his eyes and looked at him again, Sanzo felt his stomach twist so hard he felt certain that his knees would crumble out from beneath him. Goku stared at him unblinkingly, and Sanzo knew there was a burning question there simply waiting to be asked.

After a long moment Goku sat up. Sanzo clenched his fists where they were in his pockets, feeling the tension working its way all up his body. He was certain he was going to snap in two, and it was only Goku's voice that calmed him slightly.

"Why didn't you reply, Sanzo?" Goku asked timidly, for once not shying away but staring up at Sanzo so openly. Sanzo hated to admit that it hurt to look at Goku, wishing he could answer the question, before it suddenly clicked what Goku was asking.

"Me?" Sanzo asked, not daring to move from his spot into the doorway. "I replied. You're the one that never replied. I thought for sure you'd…" Sanzo let his sentence hang, not really sure he wanted to admit his thoughts aloud.

"That I'd moved on and found someone else, right?" Goku asked, his eyes focused on him in complete understanding. "I thought the same thing."

Sanzo suddenly realized that it was probably some glitch or one of their emails never got through, because Goku would've never dismissed him like that. All the years they'd spent apart was all due to some error. Sanzo had never felt more like a fool.

"Where have you been?" Sanzo found himself surprised that he was asking. He watched Goku smile weakly at him.

"Around," he said. "I joined this band after college, and we traveled all around the world playing for so many different people. It paid really well, and the food and boarding was free, so I mostly just save my money." His head cocked to the side, and Sanzo realized how much he missed those eyes watching him like that. "But then I really started to get homesick, so I came back a little over two years ago. I'm living with some friends at the moment, teaching saxophone lessons. I wanted so come to you sooner, but I figured you didn't want to see me anymore, so I needed something big to prove that I still loved you." Goku grinned, spreading his arms wide. "And this was it!"

Sanzo found himself glancing around the room despite himself before his violet eyes rested on Goku once more. "You remodeled this house to... to…" Sanzo was speechless.

Goku grinned at him. "Yup. So all that money I had saved up went, well, here. I don't know what I'm going to do with the house though. It's… like an old photograph you just can't throw away."

Sanzo surprised himself when his feet moved without his assent. He stopped in front of Goku, looking down into knowing eyes that seemed to be waiting patiently for him to finally get on with it. Sanzo curled a hand in Goku's hair at the base of his neck and cursed. "You fucking idiot…" he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips tightly to Goku's. Goku reacted calmly, winding one arm around Sanzo's neck while the other trailed down his clothed side, aching for more contact.

Goku broke their kiss suddenly to yawn, and Sanzo felt a vein in his temple throb. "Sorry I'm boring you," the man said gruffly.

Goku smiled lazily up at him. "Sorry. I had kids to teach really early and junk. I've been working on the stupid bathroom for the better part of the day. I just finished it when I called you," the boy yawned again, trying to stifle it behind his hand. "The house is really pretty in the daylight…" he said lazily.

"I can imagine. Now let go of me before you fall asleep."

"No," Goku said stubbornly, clinging to him. "Stay with me tonight. If you don't, then I'll chase after your car screaming… bloody murder."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Sanzo suddenly found himself yawning as well, and tried to ignore the smug-sleepy look Goku shot him. He was going to beat the boy senseless. "Yeah, whatever," Sanzo grumbled.

The pair was too tired to do anything but sleep, but at the moment that was the best option. Goku pulled the comforter up around them and snuggled down against Sanzo's chest. As Sanzo's brain scrambled for an excuse as to why that would be okay, he suddenly realized how ridiculous it was. He shook his head at himself, wrapping his arms around Goku's waist and pulling him against him. Goku murmured something, but Sanzo was far too exhausted to even try and figure out what he said. He closed his eyes and slipped into the best sleep he'd had in years.

---

Sanzo had slept dreamlessly, and when he awoke it took several long minutes. He slowly began to return to the conscious world, not even questioning why he was still in his jeans and jackets with a warmth pressed tightly to his chest. The memories of the previous night fluttered behind his eyelids and he lay still for several seconds, wondering if he'd done the right thing. His ever-faithful doubts and uncertainties began to return to him, almost comforting as they ebbed away his good mood. He felt soft lips pressed to his jaw and warm breath ghost over his skin.

"Wakey, wakey, Sanzo…" the young man whispered. Sanzo cracked open a single violet eye and took in the form of Goku who lay next to him. His hair was a mess, hanging in tangles around his face, and his clothes were wrinkled and clung to him awkwardly. Golden eyes peered up at him happily as a smile tugged on his lights. "Mornin' sunshine."

The normal annoyance at such a stupid phrase didn't come, so Sanzo had to force it. "What time is it?' he grumbled, sitting up and running his fingers through his own short hair. He caught his hair band that had been left in the night before and winced. That would be a pain to get out.

"Ten thirty," Goku said, sitting up with a wide yawn. He then turned his eyes over to where Sanzo was struggling with his hair band and smirked. "Let me."

The young man crawled into his lap and wrapped his arms around his neck, his fingers gently working their way through the tangles before finally his hair band came free. Sanzo's hair fell down around his shoulders freely, but Sanzo found himself utterly distracted when Goku closed the distance in a kiss.

Waking up next to Goku was more then Sanzo could've hoped for; the sex was just an added bonus.

It was just like Sanzo remembered it, only better. Goku willingly submitted to him and Sanzo had to admit it was sexy seeing the brunet beneath him, features flushed with pleasure as he arched bonelessly to meet Sanzo's touches. It had been far too long since Sanzo had last had contact with anyone and his body craved Goku's touch like a drug.

They only got out of the house by two, and that was because their hunger had driven them. Sanzo wouldn't have minded a lazy day spent in the house, but he couldn't ignore his grumbling stomach any longer and the house didn't have any food. Goku asked if he could get a ride back to his friend's house, simply because he didn't have a car and he didn't want to take the bus home. Sanzo agreed with little reluctance.

On the way, the pair stopped at a fast food restaurant and enjoyed a crappy made meal. There was no ketchup and Sanzo's pop tasted funny, but it was still one of the best meals he'd ever eaten.

It turned out Goku only lived about fifteen minutes from Sanzo. When Sanzo had gone to drop Goku off, the boy quickly scribbled down his number and handed the folded up paper to Sanzo. He looked him right in the eyes and smiled sincerely.

"Call me, okay?" he said. "I don't want a repeat of last time."

Then Goku leaned forwards and kissed him sweetly, in a way only Goku could. He pulled away, shot Sanzo one last smile before slipping from the car and making his way up to the small house in front of him. Sanzo watched him go, waiting until the door closed before he turned back, started the engine and made his way towards home.

He didn't know what it would mean, but he was definitely going to call Goku.

Besides, he wanted to find out if Goku had gotten any better at playing his saxophone since he last heard him play.


End file.
